I honestly think Calipari is going to somehow get this kid on the Kentucky roster for next season. He may not be a great scorer but he’s elite on defense, averages almost 4 blocks a game. He would be a huge addition to the roster and a serious contender for the starting job at the five spot.
Somto Cyril
- Thread starter Kentucky_SportsX
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Agree. If he can protect the rim, and catch lobs, and rebound he will be a good add
A reclass? Yea, that's just what we need. I'm sure a 17 year old will be a great mentor to the roster full of 18 year olds we already have.
Don't think Reeves is leader material either. Nor Oscar if he had returned. Honestly we didn't have any great leaders on last year's team to return for this year.
Not sure how much transfer portal guys are good for that either. None of our guys are gonna respect some guu from north dakota or whereve the one guy is from. He wasnt and isnt an option anyways but just an example. The poorly constructed rosters of the past few seasons continue to punish UK in the future.
Ummmm, anyone in this thread actually seen that dude play?
I love Ugo but Cyril looks like he could eat him for lunch and have room left for dessert.
Cyril is a grown ass man already size wise with some serious hops.
I love Ugo but Cyril looks like he could eat him for lunch and have room left for dessert.
Cyril is a grown ass man already size wise with some serious hops.
Cyril is likely better than Ugo right now. He moves much better, runs the floor better and gets up quicker. Overall much more athletic. Yes he would be a reclass but he would be really good paired with Bradshaw. Some of you are vastly underselling this kid.
We've had rosters full of athletes over the years but many of those guys look like they've never played basketball before. I expect a 17 year old going up against grown ass men in the SEC will find it hard to succeed.
The true leader has to be the coach. Not to bring him up however, Pitino’s players would run through hell for him. All players, not just 5 stars. of course now is not then because players play for money now.
Pitino’s players did not do that for him the majority of his 17 seasons at UL.
From what I’ve seen, he is ranked now about where Onyenso was ranked a year ago. And this is a weaker class. And Onyenso has 10+ months of college practicing on him. Ware was stronger than Onyenso, but Onyenso was better and showed that in gsmes in Nov. so what if Cal reverted to his loyalistic tendencies after that.
Leadership is a hard trait to learn. You want your better players to have it, since they may get more respect from teammates. But from last years team I would guess Ware and maybe Fredrick weere the only 2. I think it possible Wagner and Sheppard might, as sons of leader PGs. But yeah it would be good to have that come from an experienced player!!
247Sports national analyst Eric
Bossi recently described Cyril this
way:
"One of the most physically
imposing frontcourt players in the
country regardless of class. .. He
is a ferocious rebounder, terrific
shot blocker, runs the floor and
has been developing nicely on
the offensive end of the floor,"
Bossi wrote
Through two games with
Overtime Elite, Cyril's per-40
minute numbers are 19.9 points.
10 rebounds and five blocks per
game while shooting 67 percent
from the field. That production
has come against a mix of high
school players and professionals
Bossi recently described Cyril this
way:
"One of the most physically
imposing frontcourt players in the
country regardless of class. .. He
is a ferocious rebounder, terrific
shot blocker, runs the floor and
has been developing nicely on
the offensive end of the floor,"
Bossi wrote
Through two games with
Overtime Elite, Cyril's per-40
minute numbers are 19.9 points.
10 rebounds and five blocks per
game while shooting 67 percent
from the field. That production
has come against a mix of high
school players and professionals
This.
I’m going to need Graf or Sisk to chime in and convince me Cyril isn’t a lottery pick based on what I’ve seen.
Dude’s nickname is Baby Shaq for a reason.
As of right now, I also don’t think there’s a really chance we get him anyway.
I just think we were spoiled with 20 rebounds a game from Oscar, better get used to not seeing that anymore lol
Last two years we’ve had a roster full of Juniors and Seniors and went 1-2 in the NCAA tourney.
Maybe the problem isn’t our youth/inexperience?
The elephant in the room is that we won't be adding any veterans to a team from the portal.
Think about that, gentlemen.
Think about that, gentlemen.
The problem has been a lack of actual future NBA players on the roster. Last year had 1.5 future pros (Wallace and Oscar). Two years ago we had 1.5 future pros (Ty Ty and Oscar). Three years ago we only had an underdeveloped Jackson, Boston and a 10-day contract level guy in Sarr.
You'll notice the downfall directly is caused by the lack of lottery-level players. During this whole span, we haven't had multiple first round picks. We had multiple first round picks in:
2020 - 2
2019 - 3
2018 - 2
2017 - 3
2016 - 2
2015 - 4
2014 - 2
2013 - 2
2012 - 4
2011 - 2
2010 - 5
Since then:
2021 - 1
2022 - 1
2023 - 1
Notice the difference in performance? Cal can't win without loaded rosters.
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Well this year's team has some first rounders. People don't seem high on it though.
I think many imagine it will be like 2014, without veterans like WCS and Poythress to support the newcomers. I foresee a team that might win 22 to 24 games.
Currently and even after Hart/Burks there is room for one good guard addition and one good post. Somto could be the post addition if we strike out with Kaluma and others. I highly doubt we get a Kaluma level 4 or 5 and add someone like Somto.
I would not be surprised if we add a break in case of emergency grad transfer 5 that wants to make a few bucks while getting a masters while being on a good team.
I would not be surprised if we add a break in case of emergency grad transfer 5 that wants to make a few bucks while getting a masters while being on a good team.
Word is out . we Are not even a players first program . We are a one and done freshmen first program.
The only way for Cal to fix this is to announce he is changing his Philosophy . in the future he will not take more tHan two one and dones and will Always play the best players available for any given game . He will stress TEAM . That we play for the name on the front of our shirt .
If possible take the names off the back of the jersey and only have numbers like the New York Yankees do.
Yes that will never happen. Barnhart needs to tell him he is not wanted here any longer . The rules have changed since 2012 and he has not adjusted to the new reality? That we can’t afford to buy him out but can he just find another job. Even if he doesn’t maybe he will get the point and stop this Fab 5 nonsense throwing freshmen against sr.s and grad students .
it hasn’t hurt season ticket sales much so far . But if this group fails badly it could Very well be for basketball what happened to us when Joker was kept a year too long.
twenty thousand fans left and once they leave it’s hard to get them back.
Agreed.
If we get Reeves back and maybe add a guy like Kaluma, then maybe we win a few more.
Edwards, Wagner, and Bradshaw are good bets to be first round talents. Dillingham will be right there too.
We have the talent, but we do need some experience too.
I think we would all guess at least 3 first round draft picks on this team. I could foresee a scenario where Bradshaw ends up looking pretty bad, but still maybe drafted in the 1st round (2nd regardless).
The problem is the lack of coaching. Cal's system is to roll the ball out and let his guys make a play. He has said that in the past. It's why he rarely calls a timeout at the end of a close game because he expects his guys to "make a play." Well, that worked fine when we had superior talent and athletes who could out-athlete the opposing team but when we've had experienced college rosters who are not full of NBA talent, Cal doesn't know how to use them in today's game. The stall ball, iso game, AAU offense doesn't help a Kellen Grady or CJ Frederick get open for a shot. It doesn't help a 5-9 butterball PG get past a taller defender. Playing the same shitty man to man, switching defense doesn't help a lumbering Oscar Tshiebwe, who lacks the lateral quickness to guard his man, block a shot or is able to switch on a smaller player. Shitty coaching is having a Daimion Collins and Lance Ware in your program for several seasons and them leaving being the exact same player they were when they arrived. Neither of those guys did a damn thing while they were here.
Cal only knows one way of doing this and that model doesn't work in the current climate of college basketball.
I don’t care who is on the roster if we aren’t an elite defensive team we will be at best a fringe top 25 team all year. We need to be dominant on the defensive end to be great under Cal. It is the one common denominator all his great teams have had.
Did Bradshaw give the ok to recruit Somto?
And 7’0, 240-ish. He won’t be your typical skinny Freshman trying to hold his own..
Mentally, that might be another story, but physically he should be ready for the SEC.
Current team, if we don't add anyone else, yeah 21-10 or 22-9 sounds right.
But get Reeves back, I think that's 23-8 to 24-7, add Kaluma and or one other transfer that "moves the needle" and I think we could be looking at more like a 26-5 record in the regular season.
I hope you're right. Right now, I don't see any transfers that could us win more than 25, but I've been wrong about this kind of stuff before, so here's hoping for hope.
Reeves, Kaluma added to the current starters Would be a good offensive starting 5
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For all the ones that said hart and burks suck, the hart kid is visiting Indiana, so they both clearly don’t suck. I get not being overly excited but both would be good adds and they don’t suck
Best case scenario is Reeves, Kaluma, and Jones added for experience.
G Wagner/Dillingham
G Reeves/Sheppard
G Edwards/Thiero
F Kaluma/Jones
F Bradshaw/Onyenso
In that scenario, I would play five out with Bradshaw playing the 5 on defense (rim protector), while Kaluma plays some inside when we need a post presence.
That gives us a “best of both worlds” situation with Bradshaw.
I would love to add Cyril, we need some beef inside.
I know he is another Freshmen, but at this point, he might be the best case scenario for us inside.
I know he is another Freshmen, but at this point, he might be the best case scenario for us inside.
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